Manchester City FFP: ‘Easy target’ City ‘will win’ their Premier League case as relegation claims are ‘nonsense’

Darragh MacAnthony, chairman of Peterborough United, predicts that Manchester City “will win” their Premier League financial fair play appeal.

Last season, the Citizens won their fourth consecutive Premier League title, and Pep Guardiola’s team deserved another after a relentless finale to the season.

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Man City was charged in February 2023 with more than 100 violations of the competition’s financial fair play rules dating back to 2009.

If proven guilty, the team might face a points punishment or possibly expulsion from the tournament, although Man City has categorically denied any wrongdoing and has vowed to fight the charges.

Many detractors of the team, which is financed by owner Sheikh Mansour’s great fortune, see the Premier League charges as a blemish on their achievement.

However, Peterborough chairman MacAnthony believes Man City will not “have as big a problem as everyone thinks” and will prove their innocence in the charges.

When asked if he has a ‘hunch’ about the outcome, MacAnthony told talkSPORT: “I think Manchester City will win.”

Pushed on why he thinks that, he added: “Because I think they’ll have the best in business. I think they are probably very confident about what they are doing. They’ve won previously when they’ve had issues and bans and stuff, they’ve had them overturned.

“We see all the stuff written about them, we see the accusations, it’s great newspaper fodder, they make great headlines and I just say: let it play out legally, let’s see what the decision is in the end and I don’t think Man City will have as big a problem as everyone thinks, because they see 115 charges.”

When asked what would happen if Man City were found guilty, MacAnthony responded, “I’m not sure what the rule is that applies to those charges. I don’t know what the punishment is. I’m not sure what the precedent is in the past. Is there two points per charge?

“I’m sure the media will have headlines like’relegation’, ‘banned’, or ‘league titles from the past given back’…”It’s all rubbish, in my opinion. I don’t believe you can change the past; I’m aware that this occurred in Italy, but I’m not a fan.

“Everyone in sport tries to manipulate; I’m not suggesting Man City did anything, but let me speak for the EFL. Everyone, with all of the wage limitations, rules, and everything else, try

“I’m not suggesting anyone is breaching the law or breaking any laws, but there is obviously rule-bending going on, just like in the Premier League. And I simply believe Man City, who they are and what they’ve done over the previous decade, are an easy target, fantastic media attention, and I just say, “Let it play out, let’s see what happens in the end.”

When asked if the decision of the FFP case will affect Guardiola’s future at the Etihad Stadium, MacAnthony replied: “I can’t speak for Pep, but I believe he’s done six years, maybe more, maybe eight years, which is probably a long time for him.

“He might be like Jurgen [Klopp], and after another year of winning X amount in a succession, he’ll say, ‘You know what? I need a year off.

“This game is ruthless, and I understand what Jurgen Klopp accomplished. It’s hard enough being an owner, a manager, and being in that rat race over the last four years since Covid, but it is relentles.

“When you talk about mental health or physical health, these people are put through the ringer. So I can only image how Pep’s body and mind are feeling, and perhaps he needs some time off.

“If I were Man City, I would say, ‘Pep, take a year off, we’ll put your number two in charge for a year, and you can come back after a nice break…'””I would have done that with Jurgen.”